Yahoo News All Renfrewshire Council workers to be balloted on strike action
Almost all council workers in Renfrewshire look set to be balloted on strikes as a poll on industrial action is widened.
Unison, the biggest local government trade union in Scotland, says it wants to now ballot all its Renfrewshire members as part of its ongoing dispute over pay.
The union previously failed to secure a mandate for strike action from those working in waste services and schools in Renfrewshire.
Union chiefs said the question of industrial action would now be put to all members after the vast majority rejected the most recent pay offer from Cosla.
It proposed a minimum 3.6 per cent uplift in wages for all council workers. However, for the lowest paid full-time staff, a minimum flat rate increase of £1,292 would be applied to their salary for the 2024/25 financial year – the equivalent of around 5.6 per cent.
The GMB and Unite unions have both accepted that deal.
Unison, however, argues that it is far below the 5.5 per cent being offered to counterparts working in the NHS.
Colette Hunter, Unison Scotland local government committee chair, said: “Thousands of council workers have overwhelmingly rejected Cosla’s pay offer.
“They are demanding a fair increase to prevent their pay from consistently lagging behind and to ensure their wage rise aligns with other sectors of the economy.
“They are outraged that the current offer falls significantly short of their pay claim, and is well below the 5.5 per cent being offered to their NHS colleagues.”
Unison Scotland local government lead David O’Connor said: “Council staff provide essential services that keep society running. They are simply asking for a fair and equitable pay increase.
“Councils are currently in crisis. They face significant recruitment challenges as workers are expected to do more with fewer resources and lower wages.
“This situation places immense pressure on both the workers and the services they deliver. The only viable solution is to grant these dedicated staff the pay rise they rightfully deserve.”
Unison says it will take several weeks to set a firm timetable but the intention is to ask all council workers it represents in Scotland if they are willing to strike over pay.
It means ballots would be issued to 90,000 employees across the country.
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